Man charged in October Offer Up robbery

Andres Vasquez was arrested after robbing a man he tried to sell a cellphone to on Offer Up.

EL PASO, Texas - —

A 21-year-old man who put a cellphone up for sale on an app is suspected of assaulting and robbing the person interested in buying the phone, police said.

Andres Vasquez, 21, met a 22-year-old man at the parking lot of the Walmart at 7101 Gateway West on Oct. 20 with the intent of selling him a cellphone he put up on the selling/purchasing app Offer Up.

The man tried to set up the meeting inside the store but Vasquez met him in the parking lot instead.

After looking at the phone, the victim took out his wallet to buy it and that’s when police say Vasquez grabbed the man’s wallet, struck him with his elbow, and sped off in his vehicle.

The 22-year-old tried to get the grab the vehicle Vasquez was in but was knocked to the ground.

Vasquez was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of robbing the victim of his wallet.

He was jailed on a $50,000 bail.

On Monday, police reported a similar incident in which a victim met with potential buyers of a cellphone she put up on Craigslist. In that case, the suspect threatened the seller with a knife and ran away with the cellphone. Another suspect was arrested on suspicion of putting the stolen phone up for sale.